IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,159,539
Granted Patent B2
US 12,159,539 · App. 17/655,046 · Granted Dec 3, 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicle return method and apparatus and unmanned aerial vehicle

Inventors: Yingjie Li (Guangdong, CN); Gang Chen (Guangdong, CN)
Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
G08G5/0039B64U10/14B64U50/19G05D1/101G08G5/0069B64U2101/31B64U2201/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,159,539
App. No.
17/655,046
Granted
Dec 3, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) return method and apparatus and a UAV. The method includes: performing real-time fusion to generate velocity information of the UAV; determining, through integrating the velocity information, displacement information of a current location of the UAV relative to a takeoff location; determining a return starting point location of the UAV according to the displacement information; obtaining a return instruction, and determining a return mode; and controlling, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location. In the foregoing manner, the present invention resolves the technical problem of poor accuracy that a current UAV returns by relying on GPS location information, and improves the returning accuracy of the UAV.

Claims (165)

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) return method, applicable to an UAV, the method comprising:

performing real-time fusion to generate velocity information of the UAV;

determining, through integrating the velocity information, displacement information of a current location of the UAV relative to a takeoff location;

determining a return starting point location of the UAV according to the displacement information;

obtaining a return instruction, and determining a return mode; and

controlling, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location;

wherein the performing real-time fusion to generate velocity information of the UAV comprises;

performing real-time fusion to generate velocities of the UAV in two orthogonal directions in a horizontal plane: an x-axis velocity and a y-axis velocity;

wherein the determining, through integrating the velocity information, displacement information of a current location of the UAV relative to a takeoff location comprises;

determining x-axis displacement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the x-axis velocity; and

determining a y-axis displacement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the y-axis velocity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a return starting point location of the UAV according to the displacement information comprises:

determining the return starting point location of the UAV according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in response to the return mode comprises a linear return mode,

the controlling, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location comprises:

adjusting a heading of the UAV in real time according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement, so that the heading of the UAV points to the takeoff location; and

determining the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement in real time during returning, and in response to both the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement are zero, determining that the UAV returns from the return starting point location to the takeoff location.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in response to the return mode comprises an original path return mode,

the controlling, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location comprises:

determining coordinates of the takeoff location;

determining waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location, to generate a waypoint set; and

controlling, according to the waypoint set, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location along an original path.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the determining waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location, to generate a waypoint set comprises:

determining the coordinates of the takeoff location, and marking the coordinates of the takeoff location as (m, n); and

determining the waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location by using the following formula, to generate a waypoint set:

P

⁡

(

k

)

=

(

m

+

o

⁢

x

⁡

(

k

)

lat_scale

,

n

+

o

⁢

y

⁡

(

k

)

lon_scale

)

,

wherein P(k) is the waypoint set, ox(k) is an x-axis displacement of a k th waypoint, oy (k) is a y-axis displacement of the k th waypoint, k is a positive integer, lat_scale is a transform coefficient between the x-axis displacement and a latitude, and lon_scale is a transform coefficient between the y-axis displacement and a longitude.

6. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) return apparatus, applied to an UAV, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, and

a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein

the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to:

perform real-time fusion to generate velocity information of the UAV;

determine, through integrating the velocity information, displacement information of a current location of the UAV relative to a takeoff location;

determine a return starting point location of the UAV according to the displacement information;

obtain a return instruction, and determine a return mode; and

control, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location;

perform real-time fusion to generate component velocities of the UAV in two orthogonal directions in a horizontal plane: an x-axis velocity and a y-axis velocity;

determine an x-axis displacement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the x-axis velocity; and

determine a y-axis displacement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the y-axis velocity.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the return starting point location of the UAV according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the return mode comprises a linear return mode, and the processor is specifically configured to:

adjust a heading of the UAV in real time according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement, so that the heading points to the takeoff location; and

determine the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement in real time during returning, and in response to both the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement are zero, determine that the UAV returns from the return starting point location to the takeoff location.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the return mode comprises an original path return mode, and the processor includes:

determining coordinates of the takeoff location;

determining waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location, to generate a waypoint set; and

controlling, according to the waypoint set, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location along an original path.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the coordinates of the takeoff location, and marking the coordinates of the takeoff location as (m, n); and

determining the waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location by using the following formula, to generate a waypoint set:

P

⁡

(

k

)

=

(

m

+

o

⁢

x

⁡

(

k

)

lat_scale

,

n

+

o

⁢

y

⁡

(

k

)

lon_scale

)

,

wherein P(k) is the waypoint set, ox(k) is an x-axis displacement of a k th waypoint, oy (k) is a y-axis displacement of the k th waypoint, k is a positive integer, lat_scale is a transform coefficient between the x-axis displacement and a latitude, and lon_scale is a transform coefficient between the y-axis displacement and a longitude.

11. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

at least one processor, and

a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein

the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to:

perform real-time fusion to generate velocity information of the UAV;

determine, through integrating the velocity information, displacement information of a current location of the UAV relative to a takeoff location;

determine a return starting point location of the UAV according to the displacement information;

obtain a return instruction, and determine a return mode; and

control, according to the return mode, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location;

perform real-time fusion to generate component velocities of the UAV in two orthogonal directions in a horizontal plane an x-axis velocity and a y-axis velocity;

determine a x-axis di placement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the x-axis velocity; and

determine y-axis displacement between the current location of the UAV and the takeoff location through integrating the y-axis velocity.

12. The UAV according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the return starting point location of the UAV according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement.

13. The UAV according to claim 11 , wherein the return mode comprises a linear return mode, and the processor is specifically configured to:

adjust a heading of the UAV in real time according to the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement, so that the heading points to the takeoff location; and

determine the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement in real time during returning, and if both the x-axis displacement and the y-axis displacement are zero, determine that the UAV returns from the return starting point location to the takeoff location.

14. The UAV according to claim 11 , wherein the return mode comprises an original path return mode, and the processor includes:

determining coordinates of the takeoff location;

determining waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location, to generate a waypoint set; and

controlling, according to the waypoint set, the UAV to return from the return starting point location to the takeoff location along an original path.

15. The UAV according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the coordinates of the takeoff location, and marking the coordinates of the takeoff location as (m, n); and

determining the waypoint coordinates of the UAV in real time according to the displacement information of the current location of the UAV relative to the takeoff location by using the following formula, to generate a waypoint set:

P

⁡

(

k

)

=

(

m

+

o

⁢

x

⁡

(

k

)

lat_scale

,

n

+

o

⁢

y

⁡

(

k

)

lon_scale

)

,

wherein P(k) is the waypoint set, ox(k) is an x-axis displacement of a k th waypoint, oy(k) is a y-axis displacement of the k th waypoint, k is a positive integer, lat_scale is a transform coefficient between the x-axis displacement and a latitude, and lon_scale is a transform coefficient between the y-axis displacement and a longitude.

Assignments (2)
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Recorded May 2, 2022
From: LI, YINGJIE
To: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059841/0249 →
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Recorded May 2, 2022
From: CHEN, GANG
To: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059841/0425 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201910876714.1 · Sep 17, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020115378 · Sep 15, 2020
Related Publication 20220238029A1 · Jul 28, 2022